See The Good

See the Good

Over the weekend, I came across a beautiful quote in a devotion from Mother Teresa, the woman who devoted her life to serve God by serving the poor in India and then around the world. She said

I feel that we too often focus only on the negative aspect of life – on what is bad. If we were more willing to see the good and the beautiful things that surround us, we would be able to transform our families. From there, we would change our next-door neighbors and then others who live in our neighborhood or city. We would be able to bring peace and love to our world, which hungers so much for these things.

After having read the story of the Loving Father (formerly known as the story of the Prodigal Son), this quote resonated with me strongly. In that wonderful story from Luke 15, the Father’s love goes above and beyond in loving both the younger and elder brother, even in the midst of what they had done and the attitudes they held. The Father saw through loving eyes and saw the good in each of his sons. That love opened up the opportunity to experience transformation; to have their lives changed and their relationships repaired. Even when they saw no good in themselves, the Father did and acted in love towards each of them.

It is that same love that God lavishes on us and then in turn, asks us to lavish on others. The change starts in us, to see ourselves through God’s loving eyes and accept that we are loved. It is then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that we can look through God’s eyes, to see the good in the people around us and share this life-altering love of God. Mother Teresa is right: our world is hungry for love and peace and is so often at a loss for where it can be found. I pray that we will remember how loved we are and how God sees good in us; allowing us to go forth as God’s messengers of love out into a world that desperately needs to hear of this love.